MOSCOW, November 12. /TASS/. The latest Checkmate light tactical fighter developed by the United Aircraft Corporation (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) will be capable of striking any targets on the battlefield, Rostec told TASS on Friday.

"The Checkmate fighter is outfitted with versatile armaments capable of fighting any threat: from unsheltered command posts to especially sensitive targets for a potential enemy," Rostec said in an interview for the special project, "Su-Checkmate Fighter. Dark Horse of Aviation of the Future."

As Rostec informed, the Checkmate is capable of accomplishing tasks without entering the area of enemy air defenses. "Importantly, the aircraft is capable of accomplishing any tasks outside the area of the operation of air defense weapons, thus saving the pilot’s life," it said.

Russia’s new Checkmate fighter

Russia’s state tech corporation Rostec unveiled the latest domestic single-engine fighter dubbed Checkmate at the MAKS-2021 international air show that ran in the suburban town of Zhukovsky outside Moscow on July 20-25. The new plane created by Rostec at its own initiative, is a derivative of the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter.

The new single-engine fighter is based on stealth technology and is outfitted with an inboard compartment for airborne air-to-air and air-to-surface armaments. The fighter will carry a payload of over 7 tonnes and will be capable of striking up to six targets at a time.

The Checkmate fighter will be capable of flying at Mach 1.8 (1.8 times the speed of sound) and will have an operating range of 3,000 km. The aircraft will be outfitted with a highly efficient powerplant. The new fighter is expected to take to the skies in 2023 and Rostec plans to launch the combat plane’s serial production starting in 2026.

Russia’s latest, cutting-edge fighter is expected to compete with America’s F-35A Lightning II and Sweden’s JAS-39 Gripen. The Checkmate incorporates the latest systems, including its open architecture configuration to meet the customer’s requirements and unique artificial intelligence technologies.

Apart from its deliveries to the Russian troops, the Checkmate is primarily geared to the arms markets of African countries, India and Vietnam. The new fighter will most likely be codenamed the Su-75 and assembled at the aviation enterprise in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Russian Far East.